Event scale: More than 500 students from 22 area schools attended Manufacturing Day at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 2.
- Industry turnout: Local manufacturing partners sent over 300 corporate volunteers, with Rockwell Automation presenting and support from Applied Industrial Technologies, Lincoln Electric, PPG, Timken, and others.
- Student experience: Activities included mentorship sessions, hands-on engineering challenges, and a Manufacturing Career Expo, plus access to education partners like Cuyahoga Community College and MAGNET.
- Workforce driver: The Manufacturing Institute projects U.S. manufacturers will need to fill up to 3.8 million additional jobs by 2033 as new technologies create new career paths.
- Leadership perspective: Executives from Rockwell Automation and the Great Lakes Science Center stressed connecting student activities directly to advanced manufacturing careers.
More than 500 students from 22 area schools converged on the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 2 for Manufacturing Day — a nationwide effort, typically held in early October, to show students what the world of modern manufacturing is all about. Participating districts included Bedford City, Brooklyn, Cleveland Heights-University Heights, Euclid, Richmond Heights, Shaker Heights, Stow-Munroe Falls, Warrensville Heights, and West Geauga.
A hands-on look at the industry
The event gave high school students direct exposure to future career possibilities through mentorship sessions with industry professionals, hands-on activities, and a Manufacturing Career Expo. The scale of industry participation was notable: local manufacturing partners brought more than 300 corporate volunteers to the event.
Rockwell Automation presented the event, with additional major support from Applied Industrial Technologies, Heroux-Devtek, Lincoln Electric, Lubrizol, Oatey Co., Olympic Steel, PPG, Saint-Gobain, Sherwin-Williams, Swagelok, Timken, and Worthington Steel.
Marzell Brown, Rockwell Automation's digital transformation manager and a member of the Science Center's Board of Directors, framed the volunteer effort around career connection:
"Helping students to make the connection between the activities they are participating in during Manufacturing Day and a potential career path in manufacturing is what draws volunteers from area companies to this event."
Education partners round out the pipeline
Students also met with representatives from community education and advocacy partners, including Cuyahoga Community College, Lorain County Community College, MAGNET, the Northeastern Ohio Science and Engineering Fair, and the U.S. National Science Foundation HAMMER Engineering Research Center.
Kirsten Ellenbogen emphasized the quality of the experience on the floor:
"The companies participating in Manufacturing Day put so much effort into creating meaningful design and engineering experiences that help students really appreciate what it is like to work in advanced manufacturing today."
Why it matters for manufacturers
The workforce math behind events like this is hard to ignore. The Manufacturing Institute anticipates that U.S. manufacturers will need to fill up to 3.8 million additional jobs by 2033. New technologies are creating new career opportunities in the manufacturing sector, and events like Manufacturing Day — supported nationally by the National Association of Manufacturers, The Manufacturing Institute, MEP Centers, and the Manufacturing USA network — represent one of the more direct levers industry has for building that pipeline.
For engineers and manufacturing professionals, the takeaway is straightforward: 300-plus volunteers in one Cleveland venue is what early-stage workforce development looks like when companies actually commit to it.
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